window and the redbird would take it to Mama.”
Emily knew what Mama told me about the redbird. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Some crow could just fly by and take it.”
She was right. A lot of crows hung out in the woods by the stream this time of year.
Emily got quiet, and I thought she was trying to come up with a good idea, one that would crank up and fly. But then she asked, “Do you really think there’s a heaven, Kate?”
Her question made me want to cry, but I just nodded. “I’m sure, really sure there’s a heaven because Mama’s there, just living in God’s neighborhood.”
“So where do you think God’s neighborhood is?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, Emily. I think it’s somewhere in the sky, higher that we can even see, and so far up it’s not even blue anymore.”
Emily didn’t ask any more questions about heaven. She pointed at the box. “Why don’t you mail it to Santa Claus at the North Pole and ask him to take it to her?”
Now Emily made straight As, but sometimes she could be just plain dumb. She probably thought the North Pole was closer to heaven. Who knew? Maybe it was. I didn’t believe in the whole Santa thing anymore, but I didn’t tell Emily that just like I didn’t say anything to Chesler about it either.
I tried to be nice. “Santa has enough to do without worrying about my mama’s present. I’ll figure something out.” I had an idea about who might have the answer, but I didn’t share that with Emily.
The doorbell rang, and I was glad. I knew it would be Daddy. We’d stop at Aunt Susannah Hope’s and get Chesler, and then take off to the Blue Cow for our Friday night supper. Grilled pork chops, succotash, hot biscuits, and cheese grits.
When we got to Aunt Susannah Hope’s, Chesler met us at the door with his balloon and the bag Dr. Berg gave him. Like he would use a new toothbrush, and toothpaste, and dental floss. It was a wonder Chesler had any teeth left. He never brushed them the way Mama said to.
We got into the warm car and started singing the “Blue Cow Here We Come” song before we got to the corner. We’d been singing that song every Friday night since I could remember. Every time I heard it, I could taste cheese grits.
We drove up the street, passed the filling station, and right in front of the motorcycle shop, for no good reason I could see, Daddy slowed way down. He leaned over the steering wheel so he could see out the side window over my head.
I turned to see what Daddy was looking at.
Mr. Fields and Laramie were in the parking lot of the motorcycle shop. Her dad was pulling her arm, yelling something, and Laramie was standing her ground just like she did with those boys making fun of her after school. Mr. Fields yanked on her arm, and right then Daddy sounded the horn.
Mr. Fields’s head came up. He looked in our direction, dropped his hand, and disappeared into the shop. Laramie took off running down the sidewalk, away from our car.
“What is wrong with that man?” Daddy muttered.
We rolled down the street, and Daddy kept looking in the rearview mirror, watching. I watched out the window till Laramie disappeared between two buildings.
“Do you know that little girl?” Daddy asked.
“Yes, sir. I know her a little. She’s in my class.”
“Do you think she’ll be all right?” Daddy was still driving slow and looking in the mirror.
“I don’t know, but I think so. She does a good job of taking care of herself.” I remembered her offer to take care of Eric after school.
“Looks to me like she’s had to learn to protect herself if that’s the way her dad treats her.”
“Her mama’s gone.” That’s all I wanted to say.
“What do you mean gone?” Daddy looked at me.
“I don’t know, just gone.”
“What’s her name?”
“Laramie. Laramie Fields.”
“Oh, Fields, is it? Okay.” Daddy stopped talking and nodded his head like he knew something I didn’t know.
I didn’t want to
Emily knew what Mama told me about the redbird. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Some crow could just fly by and take it.”
She was right. A lot of crows hung out in the woods by the stream this time of year.
Emily got quiet, and I thought she was trying to come up with a good idea, one that would crank up and fly. But then she asked, “Do you really think there’s a heaven, Kate?”
Her question made me want to cry, but I just nodded. “I’m sure, really sure there’s a heaven because Mama’s there, just living in God’s neighborhood.”
“So where do you think God’s neighborhood is?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, Emily. I think it’s somewhere in the sky, higher that we can even see, and so far up it’s not even blue anymore.”
Emily didn’t ask any more questions about heaven. She pointed at the box. “Why don’t you mail it to Santa Claus at the North Pole and ask him to take it to her?”
Now Emily made straight As, but sometimes she could be just plain dumb. She probably thought the North Pole was closer to heaven. Who knew? Maybe it was. I didn’t believe in the whole Santa thing anymore, but I didn’t tell Emily that just like I didn’t say anything to Chesler about it either.
I tried to be nice. “Santa has enough to do without worrying about my mama’s present. I’ll figure something out.” I had an idea about who might have the answer, but I didn’t share that with Emily.
The doorbell rang, and I was glad. I knew it would be Daddy. We’d stop at Aunt Susannah Hope’s and get Chesler, and then take off to the Blue Cow for our Friday night supper. Grilled pork chops, succotash, hot biscuits, and cheese grits.
When we got to Aunt Susannah Hope’s, Chesler met us at the door with his balloon and the bag Dr. Berg gave him. Like he would use a new toothbrush, and toothpaste, and dental floss. It was a wonder Chesler had any teeth left. He never brushed them the way Mama said to.
We got into the warm car and started singing the “Blue Cow Here We Come” song before we got to the corner. We’d been singing that song every Friday night since I could remember. Every time I heard it, I could taste cheese grits.
We drove up the street, passed the filling station, and right in front of the motorcycle shop, for no good reason I could see, Daddy slowed way down. He leaned over the steering wheel so he could see out the side window over my head.
I turned to see what Daddy was looking at.
Mr. Fields and Laramie were in the parking lot of the motorcycle shop. Her dad was pulling her arm, yelling something, and Laramie was standing her ground just like she did with those boys making fun of her after school. Mr. Fields yanked on her arm, and right then Daddy sounded the horn.
Mr. Fields’s head came up. He looked in our direction, dropped his hand, and disappeared into the shop. Laramie took off running down the sidewalk, away from our car.
“What is wrong with that man?” Daddy muttered.
We rolled down the street, and Daddy kept looking in the rearview mirror, watching. I watched out the window till Laramie disappeared between two buildings.
“Do you know that little girl?” Daddy asked.
“Yes, sir. I know her a little. She’s in my class.”
“Do you think she’ll be all right?” Daddy was still driving slow and looking in the mirror.
“I don’t know, but I think so. She does a good job of taking care of herself.” I remembered her offer to take care of Eric after school.
“Looks to me like she’s had to learn to protect herself if that’s the way her dad treats her.”
“Her mama’s gone.” That’s all I wanted to say.
“What do you mean gone?” Daddy looked at me.
“I don’t know, just gone.”
“What’s her name?”
“Laramie. Laramie Fields.”
“Oh, Fields, is it? Okay.” Daddy stopped talking and nodded his head like he knew something I didn’t know.
I didn’t want to
Similar Books
